"It's been 3 days" Christine said, face down in the toliet bowl. "3 days since what?" her sister asked while holding back her hair. "3 damn days since I've been to sleep," Christine yelled before hurling up more blood. This has been the worst condition of stress Christine has been in her whole life. She's a team lead at her overworked and vastly underpaid job. The work isn't fulfilling, the culture is toxic, and the commute is draining. This was her best option post graduation. She tried to make the best of it but how much better can it get at this point? Coming home after 10 hours of being unappreciated results in insomnia, fatigue, headaches, and nausea that's been so bad that she's thrown up all the food in her system and is now throwing up bile and blood.
Stress takes so much of a toll on our bodies as you can see. I know you're thinking "Just quit, Christine. it's not that deep" but quitting requires a bigger leap of faith than you think. There's something comfortable about having a check deposited in your account every 2 weeks no matter what. The thought of risking that is stressful on it's own. That makes so many people feel stuck. Fortunately, you're not. There are ways to strategically remove yourself from your toxic work environment. We underestimate how much of a toll it takes on our bodies to be at a place we hate 8+ hours a day. Like Christine, I've been there and this is the plan I used to climb out.
Create a Cushion
Your stress may be at a point where you don't know how much longer you can hope the few jobs you applied to on your lunch break will call back so you can officially leave. You have to start preparing now. Cancel all your subscriptions, eat at home, refinance some of your bills like your car note and student loans if you can, dramatically cut your expenses temporarily so that you can build a cushion. I know it's ideal to leave once you have another job lined up but you may hit that point where you can no longer wait. Be prepared for that. Around this time last year I woke up and knew I just couldn't do it anymore. I gave them my resignation letter which stated that my resignation was effective immediately. I felt relieved but I was out of work for 5 months. You don't know how long it'll take you to secure something new so build a cushion by cutting expenses and if you can, do some side hustles like event marketing, surveys, tutoring, sell cakes or monetize your skills. Take that money and put it towards your cushion.
Adamantly Search
You may have a cushion but don't get too comfortable. I knew I had to be in it to win it. I created a LinkedIn Profile, spent hours editing my resume and extensively researched how to sell myself on my resume and during the interview. I also applied to at least 20 jobs a day. Even if I wasn't qualified I applied anyway. I wasn't going to count myself out. If I wasn't qualified, I would let THEM tell me that, not myself. I applied to places through my polished LinkedIn page, Indeed, the job board my college offered for students and alum, I even set up notifications for new jobs in my area. If I had free time, I applied. I even did quick applies in the tub and on the toilet. The universe responds to those who don't quit. Commit to this search and be steadfast in it.
Don't Be Afraid to Take Less Pay
I know, that sounds crazy. You're thinking "Not only have I been out of work, you want me to accept an offer that paid me less than the job that I left?". I'm not saying do this out of desperation, and I am not saying to settle. I am telling you to look at the bigger picture.
I had a specific number of what my desired salary was. I didn't even look at the jobs that were offering less. I applied to a job that met that number but I knew I didn't meet the qualifications. Surprisingly, they interviewed me anyway. I walked into that interview confident and tailored my experience the best way I could to the position to sound like the ideal candidate. Although the interview was great, the fact remained that I was not qualified for the position.
However, they were so impressed by my interview, they did not want to lose me. So, they had their recruiter reach out to me to set up an interview for an entry level position at the company. They told me the pay and it was less than my desired income. Although it was less than my goal, the company was such a great company with a fun work culture, amazing benefits, the job looked good on my resume, and there was plenty of room for growth. Fast forward 9 months later, after working really hard and networking, I got promoted and my salary increased by about 13k. This position surpassed my desired salary and there's still room to grow from this position. I am glad I accepted less pay in the beginning because that position got my foot in the door and now I found what I was searching for.
In conclusion, it is imperative that we step out in faith for the sake of our health. Spending 40+ hours a week in misery isn't worth what all you are losing in life. I know you have obligations but if you aren't in good shape, you can't operate. If you cannot operate, you can't help yourself. Helping yourself is helping everyone else. Don't die over bills. Life is meant to live, not just exist.
No comments:
Post a Comment